At its core, the iPad is designed primarily as a media consumption device, which doesn't necessarily translate into getting much done in the way of actual work (with the exception of checking email). The Iconia W700 functions more like an ultrabook or laptop in a touch-screen tablet form factor. It's geared toward increasing productivity, as is evident with its inclusion of a docking station and Bluetooth keyboard. Still, one can't really have a discussion revolving around tablets without thinking of the iPad. For the sake of comparison, we pit our hands-on unit of the Iconia W700 against the 64GB new iPad model with Wi-Fi connectivity to see how they stack up against one another.

From a design standpoint, the Iconia has all of the trappings you'd expect from a tablet. It has a large LED-backlit screen, aluminum on its sides and back panel, and controls on the side edges. If you orient it with the Acer logo right-side up, there's a hard button below the screen that accesses Windows 8's Charms menu. The new iPad, meanwhile, has a screen surrounded by either a black or white bezel, a curved metal back, and a single Home button. Both feature sealed-in batteries.

The Iconia 700 weighs about 2.3 pounds alone. Obviously, its docking station and Bluetooth keyboard add some bulk, but they need not be carried around with the tablet. In theory, you can simply leave the dock and keyboard at home and take the Iconia W700 on the go. The new iPad, meanwhile, measures 7.3 by 9.5 by .037 inches (HWD) and weighs a lighter 1.46 pounds.

The differences continue with pricing. Though the new iPad starts at $499, a 64GB unit with Wi-Fi only (no LTE variants) carries a $699 price tag. Meanwhile, the Iconia W700-6465 that we saw is priced at $999.

As far as operating systems go, the Iconia W700 will ship with Windows 8 and is designed to take full advantage of the new Windows 8 User Interface (aka Metro). It gives you the option of swiping through its tiled icons and accessing Windows 8 Charms with your fingers. It helps that the Windows 8 UI is less cluttered than the traditional Windows 7 desktop; we found the Iconia W700 more difficult to use in traditional desktop mode. The iPad, on the other hand, runs on iOS 6. While iOS 6 is an all-around smooth interface, its biggest draw is undeniably its killer collection of third-party apps, which is, simply put, an unrivaled juggernaut compared with the selections available for any other platform.

Beneath the hood, the Iconia W700 packed an Intel Core i5-3317u processor. The new iPad, meanwhile, runs off of an A5x processor, which is essentially a dual-core Cortex-A9 running at 1GHz. It's the same CPU as the previous iPad, but features a better GPU to meet the demands of the new iPad's higher-resolution screen.

The Iconia W700 we looked at featured a 128GB SSD. The iPad model we compare it to, meanwhile, packs 64GB of flash memory. Regardless of which Iconia you opt for, they all come equipped with 4GB of system RAM, which is significantly more than the 1GB of system RAM found in the new iPad.

A tablet is nothing without its screen, so it's obviously one of the most significant elements to consider. The Iconia W700 features an 11.6-inch, 1,920-by-1,080 resolution (full 1080p HD) screen. Moreover, its IPS panel ensures a decent viewing angle, so you and your friends won't need to pile on top of one another to watch a movie on it. Still, the new iPad is known for its dazzling 9.7-inch screen, which features a 2,048-by-1,536-pixel Retina display. Sure, its reflective finish makes it somewhat difficult to use outdoors, but it's hands down the sharpest tablet screen out there. The Iconia W700 and the new iPad feature 5-megapixel rear cameras.

Conversely, the Iconia W700 has the new iPad beat in terms of port options. It features a USB 3.0 port and a micro HDMI port. More critically, the Iconia W700's docking station has three USB 3.0 ports on its left side, resulting in a net gain of two USB 3.0 ports after you connect the tablet to the station. In comparison, the new iPad's port selection is downright skimpy, simply featuring a MicroSIM slot and an Apple 30-pin dock connector.

While both clearly have their strengths, the Iconia W700-6465 seems to have the chops to go beyond the new iPad and usher us into a "post-PC" era. At this point, though, it's too early to tell. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Stay tuned for our full review of the Acer Iconia W700-6465.